Dear Fellow MTA commuters

Dear Fellow MTA commuters,

Welcome back to real life.  I know you are all anxious to get to work after being stranded home with your wonderful families yesterday since trains were not running.  I give you kudos for making it to the train station- but once you got there I am not sure how you survive.  I know two trains an hour seems like such a sacrifice already and then making it a local on top of that plus super slow movement is enough to make all you already stressed people more stressed.   It didn't help that our train was an additional 20 minutes late this morning.  When the train arrived at the station, I was shocked to see all the pushing to get on.  I am not sure if you NEEDED that last seat on the train or if you wanted to watch to see how many people you can get to fall on their asses - but relax, the train wasn't going to leave you there (at least not at our stop).  Also, you should know by now that standing in the vestibule by the door is not smart. 

As we start our very slow ride to the next stop and people are trying to get on...don't you stop and think what it would feel like if that was YOU trying to wedge between people?  Why can't you just walk to the middle of the train, like me, and stand there so there won't be so much pushing at every stop and waiting? Speaking of waiting...did you notice how long we were at each stop today?  The doors were open for a good 5+ minutes...for people that are in such a rush and complain about how late to work you are going to be.  I would think you would be smart enough to realize YOU are one of the problems.  By not placing yourself in a smarter location (ie near the middle) you are making it longer for others to load the train. Also for those of you at later stops - as you are pushing your way onto a packed train, and you hear the announcement there is not one, but TWO trains only 10 minutes behind that have more room (because this train was very late)- why wouldn't you wait for that? If I wasn't in stuck in the middle I would have gotten off so I wouldn't have felt like a sardine.  Do you really accomplish anything more by squeezing in to save 10 minutes? You do realize that once we get to Grand Central, it will take longer to get off the train since it will be like a swarm of bees - all at once. I am surprised no one was trampled to death.

I understand the need for personal space, but you must realize there are extenuating circumstances that at times make it more difficult but you get all huffy puffy that people are evading your personal space when you refuse to budge an inch.  Speaking of personal space, I would like to thank two gentlemen on train #9013 who started a pushing match.  I know the ghetto guy was rude about making his way onto the train and I am sure the other gentleman moved a centimeter - but to act like kids yelling and pushing each other?  What is wrong with you?  And further...for the one man who was brave enough to interfere - I don't think saying a form of FUCK 50 times helped the matter - and just made the ghetto man even more pissed off.  

Further, on our very crowded train, I noticed many young men and women sitting.  I know you guys were on the first stops of the train and lucked out...but for those of you in the isle seats - did it ever occur to you to let someone with grey hair who looks old and fragile sit down? Of course you didn't.  You saw him, but pretended not to as you peaked up from your Ipad or Kindle before pretending to be too busy.  Shame on you.  I really hope that when you are still commuting in 30 years no one moves for you - and you mumble under your breath how the young people are so rude they don't get up for you...but I hope you realize that you didn't either so it isn't anything new.  (*Oh and don't forget the pregnant ladies)

We have been commuting for quite some time now, and have had other instances where the trains are delayed/overcrowded - haven't you learned these lessons? I hope the next time you are smarter and more understanding about these things. 
Common courtesy has been forgotten.

I applaud the MTA - while they got a lot of crap for shutting down yesterday and having these tremendous delays - we can't forget they are helping us by not putting us in unsafe conditions.  No one wants to be stranded on a train in the cold with no electricity and no one wants to derail.  And if they were operational and these crazies were on there, they would be bitching and moaning about something else.  I doubt that 90% of my fellow riders this morning enjoyed their day off yesterday.  Granted the shoveling took hours but how many actually played in the snow with the kids/wife and feel young again?  My fellow riders...you need to relax on occasion and not get pissed off at things that are so beyond your control and figure out how to deal with things like overcrowded, slow trains and a double long commute.